Welding apparatus



a speciilcation.

mas es. 8. mo

$- (PATENT OFFICE wsmmo mans'rus (moan) Clarence W.Hines, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Ohicago Bridge a Iron corporation oi Illinois Company, Chicago, 111., a

Application June 17, 1939, Serial No. 279,764

30laims.

This invention relates to improvements in welding apparatus and, more especially, such apparatus adapted for use in the welding of steel sheets or plates. 7

The invention constitutes an improvement upon the'apparatus shown in my earlier patent, Reissue No. 21,101, dated May 30,1939.

In the manufacture of steel tanks, and the like, using sheets oi steel, it is desirable in accordance with present practice to butt-weld the edges of the sheets. In making tanks in this way, dim culty has been encountered in aligning and holding the sheets to properly place and locate them preparatoryto the welding of the edges. By the 15 use of my improved apparatus, the sheets of steelmay be properly aligned and held with their edges in proper position for welding. Although butt-welding has been specifically mentioned,,my,

improved apparatus may also be used'ior welding the edge or one sheet to the face oi an adjoining sheet. The term "butt-welding used above is employed in a sensebroad enough to cover such welding which at least welds the butt end of one of the sheets.

The principal improvement in my present device over that shown in my earlier patent is the providing oi hinged plates so-that the sheets to bewelded need not necessarily be in the same'plane but may .be angularly adjusted with respect to each other, as desired. The new'device is particularly useiul, therefore, in connection with the welding oi a side wall sheet to a bottom sheet so that the two plates can be held substantially at right angles to each other. In all cases where two sheets or plates are to be welded in a particular angular relation, my improved apparatus may be employed to hold andpomtion the sheets, as desired. My improved apparatus is cheap to manufac- 40 ture, strong and rugged and greatly facilitates the welding of various members, especially the edges of steel sheets, as mentioned above.

Other features and advantages oi my invention .will appear moreiully as I proceed with my In that form of device embodying the ieatures oi'my invention shown in the accompanying drawing Figure l is a top plan view; Fig. 2 is a view in'side elevation partly in section; Fig. 8 is a 'top plan view showing the apparatus employed in welding aside wall sheet or plate to a bottom sheet or plate; Fig. in a similarview inside elevation; Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing the g butt-welding of the edges of two sheets at an angle of about 140; and Fig. 6 is a similar in side elevation. I

As shown in the drawing; It may indicate a sheet or plate of steel forming the side wall, for example, of ,a cylindrical tank and it, one oi the bottom sheets. The bottom edge of the side 1 sheet i2 meets thebottom It at right angles, as

- shown in Fig. 4, so that the bottom sheet has a projecting margin li outside of the side sheet i2. H, II indicate the welding of the sheets.

The apparatus includes primarily two rectangular plates I8 and it hinged together at adjacent edges by means of the pin it" inserted through the loops it? carried by, the plates Although I have illustrated one form of hinge joint, it is to be understood that the two plates may be hinged together in any convenient manner.

Each of the plates is provided with a hole i1 and it, respectively,- adapted to receive apertured holding lugs it and 20 on the sheets m i2 and i3. 2| and 22 indicate wedges adapted to be driven through the apertures in the holding lugs "and to drawthe sheets i! and ll against the twoplates it and i6", respectively, to bring the sheets into the general position shown inFigs. 3- and 4. The plate It is provided with bars 23 and 24 at the sides'oi the aperture i1 and the plate it is provided with similar bars I! and 26 at the sides of the aperture it. The sides or these bars form shoulders adjacent the so apertures I1 and i8. 21 indicates a wedge adapted to be driven-between the bar 23 and holding ing it to'shitt the sheet i2 downwardly or laterally with respect to the plate It. This wedge 'could also'be inserted between the bar 24 and 85 holding lug it to shift the sheet I! upwardly, it desired. a indicates a wedge inserted between the bar II and holding lug 2| toshift the bot tom sheet to the left or laterally with respect to the plate It to the desired position. It is obvious o also that this wedge could be applied between the bar andlugittoshiitthesheetiitothe' right. I am using the-term "laterally to indicatetheshiitingotasheetinanydirecticn with respect to the adjacent plate is or m and in a 5 plane parallel therewith. It will be seen that by use of the wedges described, the sheets may be properly positioned. The right angle relationship between the sheets is accomplished by the hinglng of the plates I and II at It". 3

In Flgs.-5 and 6, the apparatus is-shown as. welding the sheets 2 and 3 when lying at an angle 01 substantially 140. Here the edges of the sheets may be resting D na support "I and .the"plates is and m have been adjusted at their hinged connection to give the desired angularity. The plates H2 and! carry the lugs H9 and l2l, respectively, which are inserted through the holes H and It in the plates l6 and IS. The wedges 2| and 22 are employed to hold thesheets H2 and H3 against the plates [6 and I6, respectively, and the wedges 21 and 28 are employed between the lugs H9 and I20 and the bars 23 and 26, respectively, to shift the edges of the sheets toward each other to the desired position for welding.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art. i What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. Welding apparatus, including: a pair of plates hinged together and apertured to receive apertured holding lugs on members to be welded I together; wedges adapted to be driven through the apertures in the holding lugs to draw the members against the plates the edge of at least one member being adjacent the hinge; a shoulder on one of the plates adjacent the aperture in it; and a wedge adapted to be driven between a holding lug and said shoulder to shiit the member laterally with respect to said plate.

2. Welding apparatus, including: apertured holding lugs adapted to be attached to members to be welded together; a pair 01 plates hinged to- 6 gether and apertured to receive said apertured holding lugs when attached to members to be welded together; wedges adapted to be driven through the apertures in the holding lugs to draw themembers against the plates the edge of at 10 least one member being adjacent the hinge; a shoulder on one of the plates adjacent the aperture in it; and a wedge adapted to be driven between a holding lug and said shoulder to shift the member laterally'with respect to said plate. 15

3. Welding apparatus, including: a plate apertured to receive an apertured holding lug on a member to be welded to another member; a wedge adapted to be driven through said apertrure in said holding lug to draw said member 20 against said plate; a shoulder on said plate adjacent said aperture; a wedgeadapted to be driven between said holding lug and said shoulder to shift said member laterally with respect to said platewhen said member is drawn against 25 said plate; a second plate hinged-to said firstmentioned plate; and means for attaching said second plate to said other member, the edge of at least one of said members being adjacent said hinge when the members are attached to the plate.

CLARENCE W. HINES. 

